Ethical Concerns in Managing Anorexia Nervosa: A Content Analysis of Ethics Consultation Records

Providing care for patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) often generates significant moral distress for healthcare professionals. Central to this distress is the ethical tension between enforcing treatment to prevent severe outcomes, such as premature death, and honoring patients’ refusals of care. Despite its relevance, empirical research on this moral conflict remains limited. We examined all 19 documented ethics consultations (ECs) related to AN from a single clinical ethics support service in